French Open: Nadal breezes through

PARIS- Rafael Nadal chipped away at history when he took his place in the second round of the French Open with his 22nd consecutive winning match at Roland Garros.
The king of clay and defending champion was given a solid workout by Thomaz Bellucci, a 20-year-old Brazilian qualifier making his Grand Slam debut, before triumphing 7-5 6-3 6-1 in two hours and 34 minutes.
And while there were one or two small chinks in Nadal's game, especially in the first set with timing tricky on a windy day, there was also an ominous power.
If Nadal holds aloft the French men's singles trophy again a week on Sunday he will become the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1981 to win four in a row.
The champion admitted to some tension, however, after waiting for the best part of two days in the rain of Roland Garros to start a match on a surface made much quicker than usual by the high winds.
He also insisted it was "not logical" that some second-round matches began before the first round had been completed, although he denied he was complaining about his schedule in what has been a tricky first few days weather-wise for the tournament organisers.
He said: "These were difficult days because you get more nervous and you can't practise, so I probably lost the rhythm I acquired before this tournament. I hope this won't be a problem.
"It's always a bit worrying going through the first round. The conditions were very bad today. The winds were terrible.
"I was practising very well but in the last two days I practised only 20 minutes. It is difficult to go to the court and have a good rhythm.
"I also played against a very good opponent. He is a player with great potential to be a great player. But the most important thing is I won."
The statistics propping up Nadal's growing legend are mightily impressive.
He has never lost at Roland Garros, winning on his three appearances here. In his clay-court career, during which he has won 21 titles, he has suffered just five defeats.
And for the fourth consecutive year, this season he has won three clay court titles prior to the tournament beginning.
Something of a daunting assignment then for the left-handed qualifier who must have wondered whether to laugh or pack his bags when he heard the draw.
That Bellucci broke Nadal's first serve of the day - the match was postponed at 1-1 in the first set due to rain last night - was to his credit. When he broke it again in the ninth game he announced his credentials as more than a half-decent competitor on the surface.
Unfortunately his own serve betrayed him just when he needed it, perhaps nerves getting the better of him as he double-faulted to hand Nadal the first set.
The champion needs no such encouragement but for large parts of the second set Bellucci held his own until Nadal suddenly clicked into that efficient groove which simply overpowers opponents.
In the third set, three breaks of serve by Nadal told their own story.
Nadal, who now plays another left-hander, French qualifier Nicolas Devilder, in the second round, said: "He is a lefty too so it is going to be tough.
"I just hope to play better. I'm confident if I'm playing well I have a chance."